Beer-pipe-cleaning apparatus.



J. R. STEIGER. BEER PIPE CLEANING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED DEG. s, 1908.

- Patented July 13, 19091 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Wadi/WWI Gttmwega Patented July 13, 1909.

J. R. STEIGER. BEER PIPE ULEANING- APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8, 1903.

JOHN R. STEIGER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BEER-PIPE GLEANING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1909.

Application filed December 8, 1908. Serial No. 466,529.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN R. Srnrenn, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and useful Beer-Pipe-Cleaning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful beer pipe cleaning apparatus and consists in providing means whereby a circulation of the cleansing material may be made through the pipes.

It further consists of means for directing the flow of the cleansing material first in one direction and then in the other through the pi es.

t further consists in providing an ejector for forcibly directing water and air through the pipes.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a beer pipe cleansing apparatus embodying my invention, showing the pipes, leading there-- from, broken away. Fig. 2 represents a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 represents a vertical sectional view of one of the containers. Fig. 4 represents a sectional view on line m-:r, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a plan view showing a form for operating the valves in unison.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

1n the present manner of cleaning beer pipes and coils wherein suitable material and water are passed. therethrough, a very great amount of material is required in order that this cleaning action may be properly accomplished and it often happens that while this action. may loosen some of the sediments in the pipes, the same will not be dislodged. My invention is designed to overcome these defects and in the drawings 1 have shown an embodiment which I have found in practice operates successfully but it will be evident that the arrangement of the parts may be varied, other instrumentalities may be employed and various changes may be made in the construction which will come within the scope of my invention and. I do not therefore desire to be limited in every instance to the exact construction as herein shown and described but desire to make such changes as may be necessary.

1 designates a tank of suitable construction which is adapted to receive and store air under pressure, said tank having an inlet pipe 2 controlled by a valve 3, said pipe being in communication with the interior of a pum J 4, which is suitably connected with the tank 1, said pump being provided with a handle 5 whereby the same may be hand-operated, although it will be understood that any means for operating the pump may be employed.

6 designates a pressure indicator suitably connected with the tank 1 and 7 designates a drip or exhaust communicating with the interior of said tank 1. Communicating with the interior of the tank 1 are pipes 8, only one, of which, can be seen in the present instance and each of which communicates with the interior of a container 9 and 10, which may be formed in any desired manner but which in the present instance, I have shown as consisting of a glass casing 11 held in suitable position by means of the top and bottom plates 12 and 13, it being understood that both these containers are substantially similar and therefore the description of one will suffice for both. The said plates 12 and 13 are held in proper position with respect to each other by means of the rods 14 which pass through suitable openings in said. plates while the upper plate 12 is provided with the boss or extension 15 adapted for threaded engagement with a cap 16 to which latter is screwed the casing 17 containing a ball valve 18.

19 designates a pipe which communicates with the pipe 8 and which passes upwardly through the body or container, the end thereof being preferably situated. at a suitable point within the extension 15. A suitable discharge 20 communicates with the passage in the casing 1.7, the said discharge being controlled by a valve 21. Screwed or otherwise secured to the bottom plate 13 is the pipe 22 controlled by the valve 23 provided with the threaded end 24- adapted for connection with a pipe, as will be hereinafter described. The pipes 8 lead'ig to each of the containers E) and 10 are controlled by the valves 25 which, in. the present instance, are connected by a bar or rod 26 which will be more clearly seen in the diagrammatic view shown in Fig. 5, it being understood that the said. valves 25 in the said pipes 8 leading to the containers 9 and 10 are so arranged that when one is open, the other is closed so that by the proper operation of the rod 26 one or the other of the pipes 8 is opened or closed, as desired.

27 designates a connection controlled by a valve 28 which communicates with the interior of one of the containers, in the present instance, the container 9, and which is adapted for connection with a suitable water sup ply.

29 designates a pipe adapted to be connected with the pipe 22 of the container 9, the opposite end of said pipe being adapted to be connected with one end of the beer pipes.

30 designates a pipe which is adapted to be connected with the nozzle 24 which communicates with the container 10, the opposite end of said pipe 30 being adapted to be connected with the opposite end of the beer pipes from that with which the pipe 29 is connected.

The 0 eration of the parts just described is as fol ows:-The ipes 29 and 30 being connected with the Beer pipes or coils, the valve 28 is open permitting water to flow through the connection 27 into the container 9 filling the same to the required extent. The cap 16 is removed carrying with it the casing 17 and valve 18 and a suitable amount of cleansing substance such as so dium hydrate and sodium carbonate is inserted in the container 9 and is thoroughly mixed with the water; the valve 28 meantime, it being understood, having been closed after the required amount of water has entered the said container 9. The valves 23 are now opened and by a proper manipulation of the rod 26 the valve 25, controlling pipe 8 leading to the container 9 is open and the other valve '25 controlling pipe 8 leading to the container 10 is closed. The air from the tank 1 will pass up through pipe 19 and the pressure thereof will force the water and cleaning material down through the pipe 22 to the pipe 29 through the beer pipes or coils and out thereof through the pipe 30 and pipe 24 which is connected with the container 10 and the said water and cleansing material will be forced into the said container 10. The bar 26 is then actuated to close the valve 25 which controls the pipe 8 which communicates with the container 9 and will open the valve 25 which controls communication with the container 10, so that the air will pass up through pipe 19 into the container 10 and W111 force the water and cleansing ma terial therefrom and back through the beer pipes or coils into the container 9 and thus the operation may be repeated as often as desired from which it will be understood that a circulation through the beer pipes first in one direction and then in the other can be accomplished. It will be evident that I open the valve 21 in the discharge 20, of the con tainers depending upon which container the material is entering, for example, if the material is passing into the container 10, seen in Fig. 3, the valve 21 is opened so that the air from the container can pass out through the discharge 20. Should, however, the material and water reach too great a height and there would be a tendency for this also to pass out through the discharge 20, the ball valve 8, which I provide, will be raised by the liquid and will close the said discharge 20, as will be evident. After the cleaning of the beer pipes or coils has been accomplished it may be desirable in some instances to further clean the pipes by a mixture of air and water and in order to accomplish this, I pro vide a pipe 31 in which I mount a valve 33 for controlling the same, said pipe 31 com municating with the interior of the tank 1, while situated in the pipe 31, above the valve 32, is an injector 33.

3 1 designates a pipe having its outlet adj a cent the injector 33 and which pipe is provided with means 38 for connection with a suitable pipe (not shown) whereby water may be directed therethrough in order to be mixed with the air passing through the injecter 33 and will pass therewith through the pipe 35 which is adapted for connection with a pipe (not shown) which latter is also adapted to be secured to an end of the beer pipes or coils. A valve 37 controls the water passing through pipe 34. The operation of this will be apparent as after the cleaning material and water have been passed through the beer pipes or coils a sufiicient number of times, the pipes 29 and 30 are disconnected therefrom and the pipe (not shown) which is connected with the pipe 36 is then connected with one end of the beer pipes or coils and by opening the valve 37 and the valve 32, water will pass through the pipe 34 and the air undcr pressure from the tank 1 will pass through the injector 33 and the said water will be forcibly passed through the beer pipes or coils. In some instances it may be desirable to blow out the waste pipes of the ice box and wash trough and for this purpose, I have connected a pipe 38 with the pipe 31 which communicates at a point below the valve 32, in the present instance at 39, and I provide a valve l0 for controlling the pipe 38, it being understood that by opening the valve 38 air from the tank 1 will be passed through the pipe 38 which has been connected in any suitable manner with the waste pipe in the ice box and wash trough.

From the above it will be understood that I have provided a beer pipe cleaning apparatus which will circulate water and the cleaning material through the beer pipes or coils after which air and water under pressure can be directed therethrough while at the same time the waste pipes in the ice box and wash tus I can clean a single coil of pipes or any number by connecting the same by means of a suitable hose whereby the circulation will pass through from one coil to the other backward and forward.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a beer coil cleaner, an air tank, supports from said air tank, provided with passages, containers mounted upon said supports, pipes within said containers connecting with the passages through the supports and leading to the upper part of said containers, connections from the containers for joining with the different ends of the beer coil, and means for throwing the air from the tank ingpressure from the tank upon either of the containers at the same time it is cut off from the other.

2. In a beer coil cleaner, a pair of containers, an air tank, hollow connections between the air tank and containers providin supports for the containers from the tanl and passages for the air from the tank, pipes within the containers connecting the passages through the supports with the tops of the containers, an automatic valve in each container operative with liquid but not with air to shut off escape of liquid therefrom, means for connection of each container with one end of the beer coil, and means for applyto the passage through the support.

JOHN R. STEIGER.

Witnesses:

O. I). MoVAY, J. O. lVIOGLASHEN. 

